The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-05-26

BY B. p. WILLIAMSON.
At your request give you below
my experience with grass and clover
in this section:
Ten years ago | commenced to sow
orchard grass and clover, with poor
success. Up to four years ago I be-
lieve all the hay ever made cost me
So or more per 100 pounds, since
which time 1 have given the matter
much thought believing we could
grow as good grass, and as proftably
in this section as in any section.
How to do so was the question I
kept asking myself. I tried poor
preparation of the land, fertilized
poorly, seeded thinly, and my stands
of grass were thin The weeds came
thick, the drouth came heavy, but the
grass did not come to stay, and | was
out my money and my time, as many
Of my acquaintance have been, who
did the same way [ don't do that
way now, but do this way 1 take
any land, either clay or sandy, with
clay subsoil, that will make four bar
rels of corn or six hundred pounds of
seed cotton to the acre, [ plow it
deeply and closely-upon the plowing
[ put on ten loads of good stable
manure, or five hundred pounds of
good ammoniated fertilizer to acre,
and harrow it into the land, and con-
tinue the narrowing until the land is
put into good tilth. This narrowing
is of great Importance, because grass
and clover seed are very small. When
the land is made friable and smooth,
stop the harrow and SOW the seed and
brush in with light brush. Before
sowing is commenced, divide the seed
as near as you can into two equal
parts, SOW half one way of the land,
and the other half the opposite way.
If seed are sown this way much
better stand will be had, and stand
from the very start is matter of
great Importance. What is sufi-
cient quantity of seed 1t is said,
" In a good pasture or meadow there
should be an average of not less than
seven plants to the square inch. To
insure this number, at least ten seeds
should be sown In an acre there are
6,l28, 400 square inches, therefore it
takes 6l,2S6,40O seeds to SOW one
acre. My favorite mixture, to secure
a good stand, good crop of hay and
fall and winter pasture from the mid
die of September to January is:
Orchard Grass Seed. Ia lbs.
Fall Meadow Oat Grass, IA lbs.
Red Top Seed, IA lbs.
Red Clover Seed, ID lbs.
Total, Sc lbs.
Mix the whole together thoroughly
well and SOW as directed above, either
about September first or March first,
as most convenient. I have had best
success sown in March. Don't SOW
with grain, or in a drouth. Watch
and SOW with a season in the land, or
just before rain.
Any man who owns his land, by
following the above directions can
have one or more acres in good grass
with just as much certainty as he can
have one or more acres in cotton or
corn.
My reason for using the mixture re-
ferred to above is !: Orchard grass and
meadow oat grass are the first grasses
to start in the spring, and with clover
give early grazing, and can be grazed
with safety from March lst to April
18th; and being the two tallest grow
ing grasses, make the largest yield of
hay, and with the clover make hay of
the first quality.
I find that orchard grass and fall
meadow oat grass both have ten
dency, no matter how thickly sown, to
grow in tussocks. | SOW the red top
grass with them to fill up the spaces,
thereby making a close and thick sod
that keeps the sun from killing out the
stand of grass during our hot dry sum-
mers. use the clover in the mixture,
not only to improve the hay, but be-
cause it is tap-rooted plant, and feeds
from the soil below the other plants,
and actually brings up plant food for i
the grasses that feed near the surface.